


An Endless Story

by allouette



Category: The Voice (US) RPF, The Voice RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-09
Updated: 2014-03-09
Packaged: 2018-01-15 02:03:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,025
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1287106
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/allouette/pseuds/allouette
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Wherein Blake's best friend Miranda is getting married, Adam is a stripper, and they share more than just a <i>moment</i>.</p>
            </blockquote>





	An Endless Story

**Author's Note:**

> As always, many thanks to Sandra for the beta and hand-holding through this whole thing. Title comes from Shakira's "Underneath Your Clothes" because it amuses me greatly.

"Can someone explain to me why, just one more time, I'm being dragged along for all of this?"

"Because we love you, Blake!" comes one answer.

"Because you've always been one of the girls!" comes another.

"Quit your bitchin' and drink!" might be his favorite answer, but he's not going to tell them that; on a night like tonight, with this group, Blake Shelton should know better than to argue.

"It’s just that I always thought that a bachelorette party was a girls only thing," Blake says. It's not that he really minds; Miranda is one of his best friends, and he’d go through hell if he thought it would make her happy. He thinks it’s because he acted like such a jackass when they dated a lifetime ago. So as penance, he’s an accessory on her big night, doing dinner at some fancy restaurant before hitting the bars for entirely too much booze. If they all survive the night without alcohol poisoning, it might be a small miracle. "I'm just sayin', if the plan is for this party to end up at a strip club then I'm out!"

The girls all look at each other and burst out laughing. Kelly throws an arm around Blake's shoulders, leans her head against his. "Oh, _Blake_ ," she says in a tone that Blake doesn't like at all, the kind that makes him want to tell her to kiss his ass, but then she's leaning in and pressing a loud kiss to his cheek. "We wouldn't do that to you."

"Never."

"Cross our little hearts," Miranda adds with a sweet little grin that is nothing close to angelic, he knows her entirely too well for that to ever work. So when they walk into the club an hour later, Blake isn't the least bit surprised. Annoyed, yes. Surprised? With these little hell raisers for friends? Never.

"After tonight, I'm disowning every single one of y'all. And I don't care who it is but one of you is paying for everything I drink while we're here because this is some bullshit."

Blake's too busy bitching to even notice the way other women in the club are checking him out, just as much as they are the dancer on stage. He has Kelly on one arm and Miranda on the other, three more in their entourage following close behind, and the daggers that they glare at anyone who looks at him a little too long are enough to make everyone else steer clear of their group. He should feel like a king, really, but he's too busy trying entirely too hard not to look at the half naked guy dancing provocatively on the stage to really pay attention.

They stop at the bar first to set up their tab and announce their party because apparently the place has been expecting them or something, Blake isn't really sure. At this point, he's just along for the ride and the free booze. 

A loud burst of cheering erupts from behind them and Blake almost turns around to look before he remembers _naked guy on stage_ and makes a grab for the bottle of beer being passed in his direction instead. He's in the process of sinking down onto a stool when he gets a sharp pinch to his side, causing him to jerk back upright again.

"Ow! What the hell? Why can't I just sit up here?"

"Oh don't be such a party pooper, Blake,” Kelly laughs, looking wholly satisfied that her evil plans as maid of honor are coming together. “C'mon, we gotta get front and center for the next performer. Supposed to be one of the best just for our special girl."

Blake rolls his eyes and allows himself to be dragged entirely too close to the stage for his comfort, and as he's taking a seat next to Miranda, he mutters, "Your fiancé is gonna kill me for this."

She snorts. "Really? You think I don't already know that best man Luke is plannin' on taking Dierks and the rest of you boys out for a night of drinkin' and total idiocy that will no doubt include naked women?" Blake says absolutely nothing to dispute that fact and he can't look innocent for shit, not that it really matters. Miranda just grins. "I'm having my fun, he can go out and have his. As long as I don't hear about anyone layin' a hand on him, we're all good."

Blake is about to speak again when the lights suddenly go out on the stage and everyone starts screaming. He didn't realize screaming was a thing that actually happened at these things, but he winces at the shrill pitch some of them carry. As soon as the music starts, he sinks down lower in his seat and starts wishing he could be somewhere, anywhere else but right here, right now. Especially when out comes a guy dressed in… leather? Seriously? Black leather pants, vest, no shirt underneath. He even has on a soft looking black leather cowboy hat; Blake didn't even know they _made_ those, and he’s from Oklahoma. The tattoos that decorate his arms are pretty interesting though, Blake thinks, as is the dark stubble that covers his jaw line.

He's enthralled and sitting up before he even realizes it happens. The fluid way the guy's body moves to the music is unlike anything Blake has seen before, everything perfectly timed to each beat, to the rhythm of the song, and as he gets closer to their end of the stage and slides off the vest, Blake forgets how to breathe. There are more tattoos on his chest, two or three on his back that are seen in a quick glimpse. It's a little ridiculous that Blake can't seem to look away, not even when he feels an elbow in his side, but his friends should at least be happy he isn't bitching anymore, right?

He doesn't even know what it is about this guy that's so mesmerizing, not exactly. Sure, he's attractive; he has to be given what he does. But there's something else about him, something that Blake can't really place right now, not while the guy is dancing right in front of them with the smooth slide of his feet and a deadly roll of his hips. At that point, Blake stops thinking altogether, because it takes only a split second for Stripper Guy’s gaze to shift and suddenly he's looking right at Blake. The dancer's hands are on the front of his pants and he smirks, this wicked, cocky tilt of his lips, eyes still locked on Blake's like he's so fucking amused at the random dude sitting there amongst a horde of screaming women. The buttons come undone and the zipper goes down, and then he's sinking down to his knees right in front of Blake. The girls around Blake are going crazy, and all Blake wants to do is maybe die, knows he's blushing like an idiot. The dancer tips his hat at Blake with a wink before he's up on his feet again in one smooth, fluid motion because the pants? Have to come off. Luckily he's dancing away from Blake, who takes the opportunity to chug the entire contents of his beer bottle, plus what's left of Miranda's. It sits like a burning bubble in his stomach and fuck. _Fuck_. He is not drunk enough for this.

The girls are distracted from his crisis by the dancer as he leans in close, puts his hat on Miranda's head with a gorgeous smile before dancing back to the center of the stage to finish up, and god, he even has awesome hair. Blake hates him so much he really wants to punch him in the face. He's polite enough to wait until the guy's leaving the stage to shove out of his seat and head straight to the bar, ignoring the cries from his friends. He orders another beer, only getting about a minute of peace before Kelly is by his side.

"So. I couldn't help but notice that you had a… moment? With our dancer back there."

Blake swallows down a mouthful of beer and shakes his head. "No, that wasn't a _moment_. That was him bein' a jackass."

"You sure that's all it was? Because it kind of looked like a moment to me."

"Kelly—.” he starts but is cut off when Miranda comes running up with a squeal and practically collides with him, words flying out of her mouth so rapidly, Blake can barely understand what the hell she's saying.

"So, I got asked to go backstage by some big security person because hottie needed his hat back and I didn't understand why he wasn't just taking it from me himself, but hey, who am I to pass up a chance to go where all the action is,” she giggled. “Anyway, I go back to his dressing room and he's there, fully clothed unfortunately, and thanks me for giving his hat back. Then he goes, 'this isn't something I normally do but I was wondering if you could do me a favor?' and I said sure, what? He handed me his card and said, 'could you give this to your friend for me?'"

She's squealing again by the time she finishes and Kelly joins in with an, "oh my god!" right before Miranda turns to Blake and holds out the card for him. He just looks at it for a moment, then back at her. "Wait, what?"

She lets out a sigh because really, she can't even deal with him sometimes. "He asked me to give this to you, Blake. It has his name and number on it. As in, his _phone number_."

"What makes you think he meant me?"

She laughs and slips her arm around Blake's waist. "Honey, trust me when I say he meant you," she says, giving him a little squeeze before letting go and grabbing onto Kelly. "Now we're going to be the best friends you have and let you have your internal freak out while we go fill the other girls in on this juicy little piece of gossip and shove more money down hot men's g-strings."

As soon as Blake is alone again, he sinks down onto a bar stool and stares at the card in his hand. There's really nothing fancy about it at all. The name _Adam Levine_ is printed dead center in raised lettering, his phone number underneath and that's it. That's all it is. So his name is Adam. Blake lets that roll around in his head for a few minutes as he nurses another beer and thinks yeah, he looks like an Adam, likes the way it sounds in his head. Then he's not sure how much he likes _that_. It's not the fact that Adam is a guy, it's more the fact that Blake let his guard down so easily and someone was able to see right through him just like that. It leaves him feeling a little unsettled, and he downs a couple more beers before the heat of the room and all the shit in his head start to get to him. He looks back toward the stage and the girls are all still rowdy, cheering and having a blast; he doesn't think they'll even notice if he steps outside for a minute or two.

It's remarkably cooler outside than in the club, especially for this time of year, and as soon as Blake is out the door, he feels like he can breathe again, pulling crisp air into his lungs. The parking lot isn't that big, but it's full of nice cars and Blake figures if you're going to go some place "exclusive" you might as well arrive there in style. He doesn't want to appear shady or make anyone think he's scoping out the merchandise, so he sticks close to the building, slowly wandering around toward the back as he scrolls through some of the pictures the girls had taken with his phone throughout the night. He stops short when he hears a door open, looks up at the sound of a voice, and fuck his life if Stipper Guy himself (Adam, Blake corrects himself) isn't walking out the back door as he says goodnight to someone behind him. He's dressed down in street clothes, dark jeans and a white t-shirt, a small gym bag slung over his shoulder. 

Blake's feet are frozen to the ground; he’s had entirely too much alcohol to even consider other options, like “Turn” and “Run”, so all he can do is stand there. He feels himself start to sweat, thinks that maybe if he doesn't move, Adam will keep walking to his car and never notice the 6'5 guy standing there watching him like a giant creep. Slowly taking a few steps backward, Blake finally turns to walk away but his phone chooses that exact moment to beep at him, an incoming text message that he curses with every fiber of his being. He keeps walking until--

“Hey.”

Fuck.

Swallowing hard, Blake turns back around to see Adam walking toward him with that expression on his face like he's perpetually amused by the world at large. Blake thinks it's stupid. Unfortunately, he also sounds stupid when he replies, “oh, uh, hey.”

“I'm sorry, I haven't gotten your name yet.”

“Blake.”

Adam smiles and holds out his hand. “Hi, Blake. I'm Adam.”

Blake looks at his hand for a moment before shaking it. “I know.”

“So you got my card.”

“Yeah. And you can have it back,” he says, shoving his phone into his back pocket before digging Adam's card out of the front. 

“Wait, why?”

“Because I don't know what you were thinkin' when you gave it to Ran, but… Why would you-- What made you think I'd even be interested?”

Adam smiles again, ducks his head just a little in a way that is both adorable and infuriating, and god, Blake hates him so much. “I've been doing this for a few years, and I know that a guy doesn't watch me the way you did unless he's interested.”

Blake feels the blush burning on his cheeks again, his jaw clenching for a moment. “Listen. This isn't something that I just _do_. I don't… I'm not…”

It's a little startling how Adam's face changes in an instant. The carefree amusement slides away and is replaced by something stone cold and angry in the blink of an eye; the transformation is stunning. “And what, because of my job, you think I do this all the time? Pick up every guy that gives me a certain look? Fuck you, man,” he says, jabbing a finger into Blake’s chest. “If I wanted to score every night, I wouldn't be working in a straight club, that's for damn sure. I told your friend that I don't usually do this, and it was the truth. Did you all have a little laugh at my expense about how it was probably just some line, how I probably say it all the time?”

Blake holds his hands up, takes a step back because the sudden turn of events has made him dizzy. “Whoa, hey, no. I didn't mean anything like that at all. None of us thought that, no one even talked about it. I'm sorry if that's what you thought I meant. I was only talkin' about me, I wasn't trying to imply anything about you.”

Adam just looks at him for a few seconds before he shakes his head, turning to walk away. “Just forget it,” he says over his shoulder with a wave of his hand, and Blake watches him walk off without saying a word. He doesn't really understand what the hell just happened, and he's too drunk to chase the guy and keep arguing, honestly. With a sigh, he turns to head back inside, ready to bail on his friends completely if he has to because now all he wants to do is go home. It isn't until he's pulling the door open that he realizes he still has Adam's card crumpled in his hand. 

*** 

It takes a few days of Blake carrying Adam's card around with him - folded up in his pocket while he's at work, shooting pool with D, eating dinner one night with his mom - to finally work up the balls to dial the number printed on the front. He really did feel shitty about their conversation that night, replayed it over in his mind quite a few times. Neither of them were in the wrong, Blake knows that; it's understandable that Adam would be quick to jump on the defense when it comes to his job. Blake wouldn't be surprised if he gets judged for it fairly often. He supposed he could have let him down a little easier, but he does want Adam to know he's the last person that would ever judge a person just because of what they do for a living. Blake realizes that for some reason, he wants Adam to know he’s really a good guy.

Sitting on his couch, card and phone in hand, Blake types the numbers in slowly, his finger hovering over the call button for a good minute before he finally taps it. By the second ring, he wants to hang up, is about to when it rings a third time, but then he hears Adam's voice on the other end and his stomach drops.

“Hello?”

“Adam? It's Blake…from the club, a couple days ago?”

“Oh. Hey.”

“I uh, hope you don't mind that I called.”

There's a shuffle on the other end of the line before Adam answers. “It's fine. What's up?”

“I just. I wanted to apologize for the other night. If I offended you somehow, that's not what I meant to do and I'm sorry, man.”

Adam lets out a sigh. “Don't worry about it, Blake. I shouldn't have jumped down your throat the way I did. I was overly defensive and pretty rude, so that was my bad, not yours. I should be apologizing to you, too, so I'm sorry for being a dick.”

But Blake isn’t satisfied. “Seriously man, it’s not your fault, this was all me. I was really drunk and tired and…I dunno, confused, I guess,” Blake says, deciding that ‘really, inexplicably turned on by your entire body’ wouldn’t be the best thing to say right now. “I never should have talked to you like I did. I’m sorry.”

“I told you, I understand,” Adam replies. “I’m sorry, too!” It’s the exasperation in his voice that makes Blake realize how ridiculous they’re both being, and he laughs. 

“So basically we agree that we were both jackasses?” He’s gratified when he hears Adam laugh back, and the sound pulls at something in his stomach. 

“That about sums it up, yeah,” Adam says.

“Well, maybe we can put our jackass ways aside and meet up sometime for a drink?” The words are out of Blake’s mouth before he can stop himself, and he’s glad, for once, that his mouth has a mind of it’s own. He definitely wants to see more of this guy, especially since he can practically hear his smile over the phone.

That’s all it takes for everything to click. They meet for drinks a few nights later when Adam isn't working and their schedules match up. They don’t call it a date; Blake won’t let himself wonder if that’s what it is, refuses to let that word enter his mind at all because he will not freak out again. They’re just two guys hanging out, getting to know each other and becoming friends. There is nothing at all date-like about that. Blake picks the place and shows up early; one of his best friends is bartending, so Blake has an open tab and as soon as he catches sight of Adam, he steers him as far away from the bar as possible. He has known Luke for a long time, and he doesn't need to deal with his smart mouth tonight. 

They make their way toward the back of the place and claim the first vacant table they find, sitting across from each other. Once they're seated and Blake gets another look at Adam up close and personal, he realizes again how difficult it is to look away. Onstage or off, Adam seems to have this magnetism, some quality that keeps you gripped; whatever it is, he doesn't seem to mind because he's looking right back at Blake with the faintest hint of a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. What is it with this guy and smirking?

A waitress comes by and takes their drink orders, and once she walks away, Adam leans back in his seat, scratching idly at the side of his face. "So here's something I've been dying to know,” he starts to say. “You have to explain to me what you were doing at the club that night. Because you really kind of stuck out like a sore thumb and it was one of the funniest things I've seen in a long time. No offense."

Blake drags hand over face because he _really_ doesn't want to tell Adam this, but ugh. What the hell. “This is going to sound so fucking stupid when I say it out loud, but it was Ran's bachelorette party.”

Adam blinks. “Right. So, why were _you_ there?”

“Forced against my will?”

“Uh huh. _You_?”

“Shut up,” Blake says just as their drinks are placed in front of them on the table. They both say thanks and Blake picks up his glass to take a drink, but suddenly Adam's hand is on his wrist, stopping him.

“What are we drinking to?”

It takes a moment to process the question because he's too focused on the fact that Adam is touching him, but he quickly clears his throat and refocuses. “Um, I don't know. What should we drink to? I usually just drink for the hell of it.”

Adam can't help but laugh and picks up his glass, holding it out. “Let's drink to… new friendships and new adventures.”

Blake nods, holding out his beer. “I'll drink to that. Cheers,” he says, their glasses touching before they both drink, gazes locked the entire time.

Time seems to disappear as one drink turns into two into three into tequila shots because that's Adam's poison of choice and who is Blake to say no? The conversation takes strange twists and turns, from work and movies and food, to their current topic, karaoke. Blake's not entirely sure how they got here; he does know that at one point they were talking about how he can play the guitar and Adam is pretty good at banging out something decent on the drums and now, karaoke. It’s the natural progression of a musical conversation.

“We're monsters, I'm tellin' you,” Blake claims. “Ran and Kelly are karaoke divas to a scary degree. You get us all together when we've been drinkin' and make it karaoke night and all bets are off, buddy. We'll close the place down, we are not proud. Actually, some of them are probably pretty proud of it if you ask 'em. They like it that much. It's really something that has to be experienced to get the full effect though, me just trying to explain it doesn't do it much justice at all.”

Adam is grinning as he listens because the more Blake drinks, the more animated he gets, trailing a finger around the rim of his shot glass. “Is that an invitation?”

“Oh,” Blake says with a blink because he didn't really think about that. “Would you want it to be?”

When Adam sighs, it's still with a smile, even though he does sound slightly exasperated at the same time. “You kinda make this more difficult than it needs to be, you know that, right?”

Another shot of tequila gets placed in front of them and fuck, Blake can hold his alcohol like a pro but tequila is the worst, and he was planning on driving home. He ignores it for now, is about to answer Adam's question but gets distracted watching Adam instead because he's taking a quick look around for a moment before his gaze settles back on Blake again like he's just made up his mind about something. He takes his shot, keeps his eyes on Blake as he swallows it down then leans in close, his arms folded across the table. “Can I be straight forward with you?” he asks, and Blake just nods. “You can tell me if I'm wrong, though I don't think I am, but…do you want to get the fuck out of here?”

Blake swallows hard once before he’s sliding out of his seat, and Adam isn’t smirking anymore but looks determined as he does the same. They stop at the bar for one second so Blake can tell Luke he's out, and then he's leading Adam outside to the parking lot. He doesn't even ask Adam how he got there, just makes a beeline straight for his truck. As soon as they get to it, he feels a hand on his arm as he's digging his keys out of his pocket, and he only has a second to look before Adam is kissing him.

“Fucking christ, you're so goddamn tall,” Adam mumbles against Blake's mouth between kisses. “Could climb you like a fucking tree.”

He can’t help but laugh because there’s very little that Blake doesn’t find funny and lets Adam press him back against the door of his truck, kiss him again. Blake opens for him instantly, getting a hand in that ridiculous spiked hair and swallowing back a groan because it’s been a while since anyone has kissed him like this. When they finally break apart for air, Blake takes advantage of the moment to get his truck unlocked or else they’d be in that parking lot all night.

“Where do you wanna go?” he asks as Adam climbs up onto the bench seat next to him.

“Is your place available?”

Blake’s answer is to start the engine and slam the truck in reverse, quickly peeling out of the lot. It doesn’t escape his notice that after only a minute or two, Adam takes full advantage of the bench seat to slide closer, his hand landing on Blake’s thigh. 

“Long drive?” Adam asks, his hand slowly inching its way up.   

“Ten minutes at the most,” Blake answers, tightening his grip on the steering wheel. He’s so determined to get Adam home with him, he’s positive he will be the best driver on the road for the duration of the trip, alcohol coursing through his system be damned.

They’re stopping at a red light a few seconds later, and Adam pulls him into another kiss; Blake can’t help but groan this time because he swears to god he’s never going to make it.

***

Clothes are already flying as they stumble through the door to Blake’s apartment, Adam’s jacket hitting the floor before the door even closes behind them, his t-shirt following soon after. Blake has to stop for a moment to stare because Adam's tattoos are even more fascinating up close, and it’s so fucking hot, Blake feels like his head is going to explode. He wants to touch every inch of ink on Adam’s skin, wants to get his mouth on it, and he hauls Adam in for another kiss as the other man works open the buttons on Blake’s shirt.

It’s not a very coordinated effort as they stumble backward, bump right into a table and knock over a lamp. There’s a brief pause when it hits the floor, but nothing breaks, so the frenzy begins again, Blake’s hands sliding into the back pockets of Adam’s jeans and spinning them around so he’s leading. His shirt gets caught on his arms because he’s not letting go just yet, and his belt smacks the wall with a clatter before it lands in the hallway.

It doesn’t really hit him until they get to the bedroom that Blake realizes what’s really about to happen. He finally pulls his hands away and loses his shirt, and Adam seems hell bent on getting him out of his pants before they even make it to the bed. There’s a momentary cause for panic because Blake doesn’t even know if he has condoms. It’s been almost a year since his last relationship, and this isn’t something he normally does, random hookups with people he just met. Then again, by now Blake knows two things for certain: That this isn’t random, and that he doesn’t want to stop. 

Blake gets snapped back into focus when he catches sight of Adam peeling off his stupidly tight jeans, and it really is something to behold, seeing those things come off - much better seeing it here in his room, than up on that stage. He manages to pull off his boots before Adam is on him again, another filthy kiss that steals Blake’s breath and turns him on even more. 

“God, I really want to blow you. Can I?” Adam asks, one of his hands sliding down the front of Blake’s jeans. “Or do you want to fuck me?”

Blake is so dizzy with pure want, he can barely _think_ let alone speak, but he sucks in a breath, manages to find his words. “What do you want to do?” he asks because he just doesn’t _know_.

“More than we have time for tonight,” Adam answers as he reaches up, sliding one of his arms around Blake’s neck. “But there’s always the morning.”

Fuck. Who the hell is this guy?

It’s entirely too easy to just pick Adam up right there and carry him over to the bed, following him down when Blake drops him onto the mattress. They work together to get Blake’s jeans off, his boxer briefs going with them before Adam is pushing him over onto his back. As soon as he is settled, Adam straddles his thighs and flashes that cocky as hell smirk. Blake knows he probably looks a little like a deer in headlights at the moment because it’s suddenly slamming into him that this is _actually happening_ and it’s happening _fast_.  
   
“That’s a weird face,” Adam says, one of his hands resting against Blake’s chest. “What’s going on? Do you want to stop?”

“No! No, just,” Blake pauses for a moment and licks his lips, feels pretty stupid if he’s honest with himself. “It’s been a while, that’s all. I’m fine.”

Adam flashes a smile, his hand sliding up along Blake’s chest as he leans down. “Need me to take it easy on you?” he asks, a breath away from kissing Blake again.

“No, god. Now I feel like an idiot.”

“Blake, you’re thinking too much. Don’t think,” Adam says, letting their lips brush together with every word. “Just feel.”

As soon as their mouths meet again, Blake’s brain clicks off. The kiss is deep but not quite as demanding, almost on the lazy side as Adam slowly stretches out until their bodies are pressed together. Blake’s hands clamp down on his hips and he can’t stop himself from rocking up, seeking friction, anything he can get. He feels Adam smile into the kiss, and then Adam is rolling his hips down against Blake’s, giving him a slow dirty little grind that makes him groan and pull his mouth away to suck in a deep breath.

Adam bites a kiss to Blake’s jaw, another to his neck before he pulls away completely; the next thing Blake knows, Adam’s mouth is on his dick and all he can do is curse out loud because when he looks down, Adam’s eyes are on him and it’s almost too much. Blake squeezes his eyes closed because as much as he wants to there’s no way he can watch, not right now, one of his hands finding the back of Adam’s head to tangle his fingers in that unruly hair.

It doesn’t take Blake long to realize that Adam seems intent on torturing him in the best way possible with this; the agonizingly slow, slick slide of his mouth is enough to make Blake’s toes curl, lips wrapped tight around Blake’s cock, the perfect amount of suction with every upstroke. It can’t go on for too long, Blake knows, because he’ll never make it. He wants too much, he’s too worked up already, Adam is driving him too crazy – it has the makings of an embarrassing ending written all over it. Blake doesn't stop him until he feels Adam’s mouth sliding lower and lower with each bob of his head, and as soon as his dick is in Adam’s throat, that’s it, he can’t stand it anymore. Tightening his fingers in Adam’s hair, he gives it a sharp tug until Adam pulls off, licking over his lips and looking entirely too pleased with himself.

“You did hear me say it’s been a while, right?” Blake asks while mentally telling himself to calm the fuck down.

Adam flashes a grin as he crawls up, leaning in to press a kiss to Blake’s mouth, keeping his hands to himself for the moment. “You have stuff, right? Please tell me you do.”

“We’re about to find out,” is Blake’s answer before the search begins. They find lube in the drawer of the bedside table, condoms in the bathroom under the sink ( _thank god_ ), and within seconds, he has Adam flat on his back as he works slick fingers into his body.

Blake takes full advantage of the chance to exact a little revenge, to take his slow sweet time stretching Adam open, to get his mouth on the ink on Adam’s chest. He gets Adam squirming and cursing with two long fingers and three strategically placed hickeys, silently hoping Adam knows someone who is good with makeup to hide them when he’s up on stage because those marks aren’t going anywhere for a while. When Adam slaps a hand back against the headboard and lets out a loud, “ _fuck_!” it’s Blake’s turn to smirk, his fingers tracing the rim of Adam’s hole before sinking back in three wide, slow and deep, aiming for that sweet spot and nailing it.

“Christ, what are you trying to do to me?” Adam asks, pressing back against Blake’s hand like he’s greedy for it.

“Payback's a bitch, ain't it?”

“Oh my _god_ , you son of a bitch,” Adam says and it comes out as a weird gasped laugh as Blake’s fingers twist out then right back in. “We are going to be so fucking good together.”

Blake can’t help but grin at that, and he leans in to kiss Adam’s mouth as he draws one last twitch out of Adam before easing his hand away for the last time. As the kiss breaks, they’re both reaching for the condom at the same time, more than eager to get on with it now. Adam snags it and rips open the package, gets it rolled onto Blake’s cock with smooth precision before Blake is telling him to turn over.

“I know I’ll probably regret saying this,” Blake says, his voice shaking. “But just keep talkin’ to me. I haven’t done this in a while, so if it’s too much, or not enough…”

“ _Blake_ ,” Adam cuts him off. “I told you- stop thinking. I trust you. It’s pissing me off that you’re making me beg our first time but please, for the love of god, hurry up and fuck me!”

Blake just grins again, and with a deep breath, presses forward into Adam, and it’s every cliché come to life; everything is hot and tight and the air goes out of the room until Blake is buried to the hilt. His skin feels like it’s on fire, pressed flush against Adam’s, his heart pounding in his ears.

And then he moves. It’s ever so slight to begin with, just a small outward motion before he moves back in. It draws a breath out of Adam that sounds so completely perfect, Blake decides to move again, a little more this time. The cycle continues in that way for a while, taking his cues from Adam, from every little noise he makes to the way he presses back to meet Blake’s thrusts, every move slightly different in order to draw something else out of the man he’s with. It’s like nothing he’s ever experienced before.

Then all of a sudden Blake is stopping, slipping out of Adam’s body, who turns his head and looks at him with a combination of dismay and hatred that Blake can’t help but laugh at. “Over, on your back please,” he says, stroking himself in the interim.

Adam lies back, and almost immediately Blake is back inside him, and if it was good before, it’s even better now that he can see Adam’s face, every twitch and every grin. They know they won’t last much longer, not this first time, so Blake snaps his hips forward once, hard, drawing a deep moan out of them both. One of Adam’s legs curls around Blake’s hips, while his hands find a grip on the headboard. Blake takes that as another cue to go faster, slamming home, finding that perfect spot inside Adam over and over, watching the ecstasy come over Adam’s face. It’s like the first time he saw him on the stage, except it’s so much different; it’s because of Blake. It’s just for Blake. And it’s too fucking much.

Adam lets out a yell, and Blake’s thrusts get faster, all rhythm lost, and it takes all of his strength to not collapse and pass out on Adam as his orgasm rips through him. The last thing he remembers before he slips off to sleep is Adam’s blissed-out face, still grinning.

*** 

The door to Blake’s bedroom doesn’t open again until almost noon the next day when Adam comes wandering out in his underwear. His quick trip to the kitchen is interrupted when he finds someone else sitting on the couch, and he stops short, a little awkward, although she hasn’t bothered to look up from the magazine spread across her lap since he walked into the room.

“Uh… hi,” he says, idly scratching at his stomach and taking a couple of steps back toward the bedroom.

She finally looks up at the sound of his voice, and it would be impossible to miss the way her eyes widen as she gives him a once over before bringing the magazine up to cover her face. Adam recognizes her from the club, the friend he gave his card to, and he’s suddenly glad he decided against strolling out of the room naked; it’s one thing to strip for strangers for a living but it’s another thing entirely to walk out buck naked in front of the best friend of a dude you just had sex with. At least he isn’t sweating anymore and he cleaned the jizz from his stomach. 

“Kitchen’s that way,” she says with a vague point over her head that doesn’t really lead anywhere, but the apartment isn’t that big anyway.

“Thanks,” Adam replies and hurries off.

He makes himself at home, looking through different cabinets and drawers until he finds exactly what he wants. After fixing a large bowl of sugary cereal, he grabs a bottle of water for himself and a Gatorade for Blake from the fridge before he disappears back into the bedroom. He sets the bottles down on the bedside table, then slides back onto the bed, careful not to spill his breakfast. “Do you have a roommate?”

“No, why?” Blake asks, his voice muffled by one of the pillows because he’s still sprawled out across the bed on his stomach.

“One of your friends from the party is camped out on your couch,” Adam answers around a mouthful of crunchy cereal.

Blake lets out a small groan. “Ran. She acts like she lives here,” he says, perking up after a moment when he realizes that Adam has food. The sheet shifts around his hips as he slowly rolls over, pushing himself up enough to peer into the bowl.

“Hey, I asked you if you wanted anything to eat and all you did was grunt at me.” Adam makes a show of bitching, but he hands over the spoon anyway, taking the time to drink half of the water from his bottle while Blake takes a few bites. “Anyway, isn’t she supposed to be getting married?”

“Yeah, in a few weeks.”

“And how much time does she spend over here with you? I’m just saying that’s a little weird, isn’t it?”

Blake shrugs a shoulder and reaches for his drink. “I know it probably seems that way, but she’s just nervous. Her party happened so early ‘cause it was the only time one of her friends could come into town until the night before the wedding, and now that that part is over with, she’s been freakin’ out a little bit more. She says being around me calms her down so I’m not gonna argue with her. I know better than to do that.”

“Huh,” is all Adam says, thinking about that for a moment before he turns his attention back to the bowl in his hands.

An hour and a half later, they both emerge from the room fresh from the shower after Adam calls for a friend to pick him up. The rumblings of a motorcycle outside announce that his ride is there, and they head to the door where Adam collects his shirt and jacket from the night before, the former he pulls on over his head before he steps outside. 

“So, I had a good time,” he says with a smile, leaning in close.

“Me too,” Blake agrees, though he would probably call it a lot more than just good.

Adam leans in to kiss him again, slow and lingering. “Call me,” he says, then he’s gone, hopping on the back of the bike before they speed away.

When Blake closes the door and turns back around, Miranda is making gagging noises from her spot on the couch. “ _What_?” he asks as he flops down next to her and stealing the remote to the TV.

“This morning’s romp sounded particularly athletic.” 

Blake feels his face burn. “I hate you so much. Don’t you have a fiancé to harass?”

“Luke roped him into helpin’ with inventory before he had to open this afternoon, so nope, not right now. So tell me all about it, what’s the deal, are you two a _thing_ now?” she asks with a grin and Blake feels himself start to blush again.

“I don’t know, Ran, there is no deal. We just… we didn’t really talk about it. Not yet, anyway. Who knows if we even will. Last night just happened,” Blake answers, idly picking at the buttons on the remote because now, after the fact, his nerves are starting to get the best of him again.

“Do you like him?”

“Obviously. You know I would’ve put myself out there like that if I didn’t.”

“It’s been a long time since Mike. You deserve something good in your life, Blake. Don’t rush into anything, but if it feels right, I think you should roll with it, you know? You never know what might happen if you just let it.”

Blake nods a little and lets out a soft sigh. “Yeah, I know. I guess I’ll just have to wait and see what’s going to happen.”

Turns out he doesn’t have to wait long at all to find out because Adam shows up at the apartment that night after he gets off from work saying, “I just couldn’t stay away,” and “is this okay?” when a sleepy-eyed Blake opens the door for him. Blake doesn’t mind, not in the slightest, especially when he ends up pressed back against the wall and gets the best blowjob he’s ever had before in his life. Nothing at all to argue about there.

Adam shows up again the next night, too exhausted to do anything but follow Blake back to his bedroom and straight into bed. Over the next few weeks, they manage to see each other for some amount of time almost every single day; quick meals during Blake’s lunch breaks, dinners when Adam has a night off, coffee if they have some free time in the morning. Adam ends up meeting a few more of Blake’s friends at a bar, the same one where they had their first not-date, and it’s definite progress that Blake actually lets an exchange of words happen, especially with Luke behind the bar. 

They both agreed not to rush things, but this crazy magnetism they feel toward each other is inexplicable; it makes it virtually impossible not to pick up the phone when they find themselves apart, to make a call no matter how short, to send off a quick text to say hi followed by a stupid joke. They’re learning more and more about each other every time they are together, and while they’re different in many ways, they also have a lot in common. It’s true what they say: opposites attract, while their similarities bind them together.

Blake even meets Adam at the club a few of times, still not completely over his discomfort of being there but not nearly as bad as that first time. He drags Kelly along when Miranda is tied up and she’s all too happy to go, getting up close to the stage so she can enjoy the show. Blake watches from a safe distance at the bar, only looking up when the familiar music of Adam’s routine starts. Then it’s just like that first night when he was sucked in, mesmerized and unable to look away, only now he knows some of those moves a little more intimately, and he has to remind himself not to think about that sort of thing in public.

It’s not until the bartender sets another beer in front of him and says, “you’re friends with Adam, right? Blake?” that Blake finally tears his eyes away from what’s happening on stage, a little startled and even more surprised that this guy apparently knows this name.

“Uh, yeah, that’s me,” Blake answers, a little wary.

“Thought so. I’ve heard him talk about you a couple of times. I’m Tony,” he says, holding his hand out.

“Nice to meet you,” Blake replies, giving his hand a firm shake.

“It’s not very often that Adam’s friends from outside of this place wander through here, so you must be one of the few good ones.”

“What do you mean?” Blake asks as he takes a drink, his eyes drifting back toward the stage as Adam’s routine is winding down.

“He just doesn’t bring people here, or even tell people where he works that I know of,” Tony explains as he cleans a stack of glasses. “It’s not that he’s ashamed of what he does, but he doesn’t trust people that easily. Says it makes it a lot harder for them to fuck you over.”

“Makes sense.”

The crowd is going crazy as Adam makes his exit and Blake feels himself smile a little before he picks up his beer bottle again, taking another long drink. “He’s a good guy,” Tony says as he turns away from the stage having watched Adam leave as well. “So I hope you are, too. I guess that’s all I’m really trying to say.”  


Blake nods, sliding out of his seat. “I’ll be back.”

The security guard at the door leading backstage knows Blake’s name by now, too, and he gets to go straight back without any hassle. He’s pretty sure he remembers where he’s going as he walks down the hall, hearing a little bit of commotion coming from down the next hallway. Adam’s voice is easy to make out, and as soon as Blake takes a look around the corner, he stops dead in his tracks. 

He doesn’t even know what to think seeing Adam in the arms of another guy. He sort of wants to throw up, the beer churning hot in his gut because this hug looks a little more than simply platonic, especially when Adam’s feet get lifted off the ground and his legs go around the guy’s waist. That’s the moment Blake can’t look anymore and he turns around, walks back out the same way he came. It takes him a minute to find Kelly in the swarm of women at the stage, but he’s big enough to push his way through.

“C’mon, we’re leaving!”

“What? No, why?”

“Kelly, please just… Let’s go okay?” He’s trying his hardest not to make a scene, knows how easy it would be to cause one; a big guy like him all upset dragging a girl out through the crowd. That’s the last thing he wants. She looks at him for a moment, then nods, and after a quick stop at the bar to pay their tab, they make a quick exit.

“Are you gonna tell me what that was all about?” Kelly asks once they’re speeding down the road.

“No.”

“Blake—.”

“There’s nothin’ to say, Kelly. Just forget about it,” Blake says; it’s a silent drive the rest of way.

As soon as Blake gets home, he doesn’t know what to do with himself. His phone is blowing up because of course Kelly called Miranda and now she insists on knowing what’s going on. He puts it on silent and throws it aside, fixing himself a drink because if any occasion called for alcohol, it would be this one. Boots kicked off, he paces around the living room, cup in hand, while he tries to figure out what the fuck just happened; an impossible task, he knows, because he has absolutely no idea. All he knows is that he doesn’t like what he saw and he’s hurt and angry and the more he thinks about it, the sicker he feels.

He’s about to start on drink number two when there’s a knock on his door, and as tempting as it is to just ignore it, if it’s any of his friends on the other side, he knows they aren’t going to go away. He doesn’t know why he didn’t think to consider Adam because when Blake does pull the door open, there he is.

“What the hell happened?” Adam asks, all but pushing himself inside. “I went looking for you when you didn’t meet me, and Tony said you left in a hurry and you haven’t been answering your phone. What’s going on?”

Blake suddenly doesn’t know what to say, feels a little stupid as he closes the door. He heads back toward the living room, sets his cup down on the coffee table. “I uh, I was on my way to your dressing room. And I saw you.”

“And? Why didn’t you say anything?”

“You weren’t alone.”

“Oh,” Adam says, his eyes widening a moment later when everything clicks into place. “ _Oh_. You saw me with Jesse? You saw me greet a friend that I haven’t seen in a really long time, and what, you just jumped to the first, stupidest fucking conclusion that popped into your head?” Blake doesn’t answer, just sinks down to sit on the couch. “Why would you even… I don’t understand how you get me hugging another guy to mean that I’m sleeping with him. Is it because of my job? Exotic dancer isn’t synonymous with slut, Blake!”

“Stop puttin’ words in my mouth Adam, I didn’t fucking say that!” Blake takes a deep breath and sits, holding his head in his hands. “I feel like an idiot, all right? I’m sorry,” he finally replies, dragging a hand through his hair. When he looks up at Adam, he’s expecting anger, but the sadness on Adam’s face completely throws him.

“You could have asked me. I would have introduced you to him, I would have told you the truth. I have nothing to hide from you, Blake,” Adam says softly before he heads back toward the door. He stops there, his hand on the knob. “I can’t deal with this kind of jealousy. It’s petty and it’s ugly and it has no place in my relationships, especially not the kind I thought I could have with you.”

Blake pushes himself to up to stand. “Adam—.”

“I really don’t want to be around you right now,” is all Adam says before he leaves and Blake is left staring at the door, wondering if he royally blew what could have been the best thing to happen to him in a long time.

*** 

There’s nothing but radio silence from Adam for the next few days and it is agonizing. Blake is convinced that it’s over, that Adam has decided he doesn’t want anything to do with him anymore, and Blake has no one to blame but himself. He feels like he doesn’t even have the right to be hurt because it’s his fault, and he keeps it to himself; Miranda’s wedding is happening before they know it and he won’t do anything to bring his friends down or to ruin their day.

Dierks’ bachelor party is thrown two nights before the big event, and Blake is glad to have that to take his mind off of what may or may not be happening with Adam. It’s the best distraction he could ask for, and he spends the night laughing at the worst jokes possible with all of his buddies, proving Miranda right with the female strippers, and drinking himself into oblivion. Afterward there’s a full day of nursing the unavoidable bitch of a hangover that comes with that much alcohol consumption, and the following day, there are wedding bells in the air. 

Blake is determined to have a good time, despite the fact that he no longer has a date. It’s not that he even really needs one; he’s been dateless for a long time now and that has never stopped him from enjoying a good party. Besides, all he has to do is remind himself that this day has absolutely nothing to do with him and everything to do with two of his very best friends. 

The wedding is being held in the courtyard of one of the fancy hotels downtown, the reception in the ballroom. The logic behind the location came down to the inevitability of everyone getting rip-roaring drunk, and so no one will have to worry about driving home with rooms upstairs. They aren’t too proud to admit that the reception ended up being a little bit more important than the actual ceremony in terms of planning; they’re still young, they like to have fun, and getting married is a sure fire reason to throw one hell of an unforgettable party.

Everyone in the wedding party gathers at the hotel and gets ready upstairs in three rooms – one for the guys, two for the girls. Blake stays far away from the flurry of drama that is hair and makeup and god only knows what else happening in the two other rooms; judging by all of the noise coming from down the hallway, he doesn’t want to know. Naturally it takes the boys a third of the time to get ready from start to finish, and they’re left with well over an hour to kill. They have to convince Luke that no, it probably would not be a good idea to find and set up a table of beer pong. They do, however, share a round of good luck, congratulatory shots; it’s to calm the nerves, they say, because what are brothers for?

Blake heads downstairs after a while with a few of the others to see how everything is set up, checking on guests that may have already arrived. They walk through the ballroom together where the bar is still being stocked, but all of the tables along the perimeter of the room are set up and ready to go. Outside, the courtyard is gorgeous. All of the flower arrangements are made up of pinks, yellows, and blues. There’s _a lot_ of pink, so Blake knows Miranda will be ecstatic on the visual front.

He makes a point of greeting the handful of guests that have already gathered, introducing himself to those he doesn’t already know. He’s still making the rounds when Kelly comes up to him, apologizing for the interruption before she pulls him aside.

“You might want to check out who just walked up looking a little lost,” she says.

Blake takes a look around and then he sees him – Adam walking down the aisle, looking more stunning than lost in his simple black suit. He’s clean-shaven, his hair perfectly styled, and Blake’s mouth has gone completely dry just looking at him. It isn’t until he feels Kelly give him a nudge that he actually moves, shoving his hands into his pockets as he slowly crosses the courtyard to meet Adam halfway.

“Hey. What’re you…” Blake starts to ask but trails off, and Adam holds up the invitation Miranda had given him.

“I’m still invited, right?”

“Oh. Well, yeah. I just wasn’t expectin’ you to come, I guess.”

“Do you still need a date?” Adam asks, flashing a small smile.

The relief Blake feels can’t even be put into words, and he lets out a sigh, returning Adam’s smile tenfold. “Only if it’s gonna be you.”

Adam snorts. “Like I would be offering for someone else to be your date,” he says and reaches for Blake’s hand, lacing their fingers together.

“Adam, listen—.”

“We can talk later, okay?” Adam gives Blake’s hand a squeeze. “The wedding is what’s important right now.”

Blake stays with Adam until he has to rejoin the wedding party to begin. It’s a simple, yet beautiful ceremony. There are tears when Dierks and Miranda recite the vows they wrote for each other, and after the exchange of rings, they are pronounced husband and wife. The guests erupt into cheers when they share their first kiss, and Blake manages to catch Adam’s gaze, sending a smile and a wink in his direction. 

There is very little that’s traditional about the reception. They have champagne for toasts and a first dance, cake eventually, but apart from that, the rulebook for this sort of thing has been thrown out the window. A third of the chairs are removed as soon as the first husband/wife dance is done, one of the long tables pushed back against the far wall out of the way; no one came here to sit down the whole time, and with the drink free-flowing, everyone is fair game to be dragged out on the dance floor.

Adam disappears for a few minutes to take his overnight bag from his car up to Blake’s room, and as soon as he gets back, Blake is pushing a glass into his hand and steering him away from the crowd. 

“What’s up?” Adam asks, grimacing when he takes a sip of the overly sweet concoction in his glass.

Blake shrugs, completely unfazed by whatever it is they’re drinking. “Just wanted to talk to you for a minute.”

“Blake, we don’t have to do this right now.”

“I know, but I want to say that I’m sorry. I was a huge jackass, and I’m not proud of my behavior and I don’t blame you for bein’ upset with me. I wouldn’t have blamed you if you decided never to speak to me again,” he says, his eyes focused on the contents of his glass.

Adam lets out a sigh, setting his drink down. “I thought about it. Wondered if it was all really worth it because it wouldn’t have been the first time, not _at all_. But apparently you,” Adam says, reaching up to take hold of Blake’s tie, “are a very difficult person to walk away from.”

“It won’t happen again. I didn’t like feelin’ that way, I didn’t like knowing how I made you feel. I guess I got wrapped up in my own insecurities and forgot how to think like a normal person. I’m sorry, Adam,” Blake says, one of his hands coming up to cover Adam’s where it’s still holding onto his tie. “I promise you I’m not some ragin’ jealous asshole, I’m really not.” 

“I believe you,” Adam replies with a smile, tugging Blake closer. 

He’s about to pull Blake in for a kiss when Miranda and Kelly interrupt, insisting that they’re here to party and not make out in the corner. They get dragged out onto the dance floor, Blake protesting with all of his might because he _doesn’t dance_ , and Kelly giddy as a schoolgirl that she gets to dance with Adam. She does nothing to hide her excitement, can hardly stop herself from giggling as he wraps his arms around her.

“Oh my god, you even smell awesome,” she sighs, letting her head drop down to his shoulder; all Adam can do is laugh.

“Hey, keep those hands where I can see ‘em!” Blake calls out from a few feet away.

“Bite me, Shelton! I am going to enjoy every second of this,” Kelly says with a beaming smile directed solely at Adam, and she can’t even contain her laughter of pure delight when he spins her around, putting a little more distance between them and Blake. “He’s gonna kill me later.”

“No, he won’t. He’s a big boy, he can handle it.”

“It doesn’t bother you, does it? I mean, this? Me being an enormous creep over you? Because I can stop.”

Adam laughs again, shaking his head. “No, it doesn’t bother me. I mean, it might if you started groping me or something else wildly inappropriate, but no. I don’t think you’re a creep.”

“Oh, thank god,” Kelly sighs. “We all think you’re great, obviously. And we have to mess with Blake as much as we possibly can. It’s been too long for him, and he seems so happy now. Everything was so serious with Mike, especially toward the end, and all he and Ran did was fight, so there wasn’t much fun to be had there. But you two seem like you have a lot of fun and—.”

“Wait, sorry. What did you say?” Adam interrupts because he isn’t sure if he just heard what he thinks he did.

“Which part?”

“You said all Blake and Miranda did was fight. What do you mean?”

“Oh, when they were dating. They were at each other’s throats all the time, pushing each other’s buttons. You probably wouldn’t think it seeing how close they are now, but lord, I think they set some kind of record for breaking up and getting back together before they finally got some sense knocked into them.”

Adam just blinks, watching the two of them dancing together now through the crowd as that information sinks in; he can’t figure out how this is something he’s just now finding out about, how he didn’t know about this from the very beginning. Now he’s definitely feeling a little creeped out.

As soon as the song ends, Adam uses the excuse that he’s going to get something to eat the leave the dance floor, promising Kelly another dance before the night is through. He stops at the bar to get another drink, something not so grossly sweet this time, trying to quiet the thoughts in his head. He doesn’t want to go back to wondering if pursuing this relationship with Blake is worth it, but how can he not if Blake is keeping things from him?

Blake is making his way through the crowd when Adam catches up with him again, snagging him by the elbow before someone else can pull him away. 

“I was just lookin’ for you,” Blake says with a smile.  


“Can we step outside for a minute?” Adam asks as calmly as possible.

“Yeah, sure,” Blake nods, leading him toward one of the side doors. “Something going on?”

Adam waits until they’re alone outside before he speaks, rubbing anxiously at his forehead. “Can you think of something rather important that you might have forgotten to tell me?”

It’s pretty clear from the look on Blake’s face that he has no idea what Adam is talking about, but he takes a minute to think, wracks his brain to come up with something but he’s drawing a blank. “Apparently there’s something if you’re askin’ me, but I don’t know. What is it?”

“You and Miranda. The fact that you two used to be together? Seriously, you didn’t think that was something I might need or want to know?”

Blake’s eyes widen slightly as realization sets in. “It’s been so long, I didn’t think it mattered anymore,” he says with a sigh. “It’s been _years_ , Adam.”

“Blake, she was camped out on your couch the morning after our first night together. And I thought that was fucking weird before I knew she was your ex, jesus christ.”

Blake has to wince a little because when Adam puts it like that, yeah, it does sound pretty bad. He’s just never thought about what their relationship might look like to someone new, someone outside of their group of friends. “Okay, fair point,” he admits. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you, alright? I wasn’t intentionally keepin’ it from you, it’s just… I don’t really think about it, I guess. I’ve known her for a good portion of my life, and like I said, it’s been years since we tried to be somethin’ more than just friends and it didn’t work. “ Blake looks through the glass doors towards the dance floor, at Miranda whirling around with Dierks, then back at Adam, explaining, “Our personalities are too much alike and we almost killed each other. That was back before I really had the guts to do anything about the fact that hey, I’m pretty sure I like guys, too. I mean, I used to flirt with _everybody_. We both hit on D at the same time; that should tell you somethin’ right there.”

As annoyed as Adam is, he can’t help but snort at that because Blake is just so ridiculous, he can hardly stand it. “Crashed and burned with that one, huh?”

“Dude just got married, didn’t he? Although we have been known to bro cuddle if we get drunk enough.”

“Oh jesus,” Adam says with a laugh, shaking his head.

“What? I’m just sayin’,” Blake says with a small grin. “But seriously, I’m sorry. We just fixed this and I already fucked up again.”

Adam lets out a small sigh and shakes his head, but he’s still smiling a little. “No, it was just new information that I was blindsided with. I know we still have a lot to learn about each other, I get that, but I guess my thinking was with something like _that_ , I would’ve known already. You have any more ex’s running around in your group of friends that I should know about?”

Blake lets out a laugh. “Nope, no, she’s the only one of them brave enough to attempt to put up with my ass.”

“C’mon, let’s go back inside,” Adam says with a grin, taking Blake by the hand. “I want to steal you away as soon as I can later on, so I don’t want anyone to start missing you now.”

***

Blake and Adam make their exit from the reception not long after the bride and groom. The room is still booked for another hour, but the party is already slowly starting to wind down; Blake doesn’t feel bad at all about slipping out at such an opportune time. He pulls his tie from around his neck on the way up to the room, glancing over at Adam every few seconds because he’s not saying anything, his eyes watching the numbers change as the elevator climbs floors.

“You’re quiet,” Blake comments, and Adam shakes his head.

“Just thinking.”

“About?”

Adam smirks, stepping out of the elevator as soon as the doors open. “You’ll see.”

Inside the room, Blake gets steered directly into a chair while Adam moves around the room. He turns one lamp on low, then searches through his bag sitting on the table.

“You move an inch,” Adam says, pulling his phone out of his pocket. “And I stop.”

“Seriously?”

“You try to touch me, and your hands get tied down.”

“How is that even fair?”

Adam grins, searching through the library on his phone for the playlist of music he put together specifically for this, plugging in a small set of portable speakers he brought along. “Trust me, Blake. You won’t be complaining by the time I’m finished with you.”

Blake swallows hard, fingers flexing anxiously against the arm of the chair. He’s not exactly sure what’s about to happen, but he has a pretty good idea and all he can do now is hold his breath. Adam is standing in front of him when the music starts, the slow sway of his hips matching the tempo of the song, his hands coming up to work on the knot of his tie. His eyes are closed, his head tipped to the side as he tugs the silk free until it’s hanging loosely around his neck. As soon as his eyes flutter open and Blake gets locked in his gaze, Blake is lost.

There’s a stark contrast to the dance unfolding in this room compared to what Adam does up on stage; out there it’s all fast and upbeat, flashy and very much like a production. It’s practiced in a way to building up the audience reactions, to make them happy and eager to spend money. Blake has never seen Adam move like this out there. This is slow and intimate, up close and personal. It’s achingly difficult to keep his hands still as he watches Adam work on the buttons on his shirt, slowly popping them open one by one. The crisp fabric slides off of one shoulder, then the other, before Adam lets it fall away to the floor, mouthing along to the words of the song.

“ _Maybe I just wanna be yours, I wanna be yours…_ ”

It becomes even more difficult when suddenly Adam is up on his knees on the chair, straddling Blake’s lap. Blake curses under his breath as he watches the slow, fluid roll of Adam’s hips, knows exactly what that feels like when they’re pressed together. Adam’s hands are on at his belt, working it open and sliding it off with smooth precision. When Blake looks back up, Adam is smirking faintly; he sings a few more words of the song before he leans in, sliding his tongue along Blake’s lower lip, skipping up to press a kiss to his forehead instead of giving Blake that one small indulgence. Blake has barely had a chance to blink before Adam is springing backward off of the chair, back on his feet, another wicked little smirk in place at the clear frustration written all over Blake’s face.

“Adam—.”

“Shhh.” Adam presses a finger to Blake’s lips, lingers there for a moment, tracing along Blake’s jaw before he pulls away completely again. 

They’re into the second song by the time Adam is hooking his thumbs under the waistband of his pants, hips shimmying as he turns his back to Blake, the tempo stepped up just a notch. It’s that slow roll of his hips, an added little pop to match the beat of the song that is almost Blake’s undoing. Adam’s pants come down one small inch at a time, and it’s enough that Blake has to look elsewhere, up at the muscles moving in his back, flexing in his arms as the words “ _so use me_ ” repeat from the speakers. 

“ _Blake_ ,” Adam says, practically purring because he draws it out, letting his pants slide down his thighs to pool around his feet. He steps out of them, and then turns to face Blake again. His eyes are dark now, hooded as he straddles Blake’s lap this time, leaning in close, his hands draped over the back of the chair. “What do you think, Blake? Have you had enough?”

The question is barely out of Adam’s mouth before Blake is moving, crushing their mouths together, his hands grabbing at Adam’s hips. Adam would laugh if Blake weren’t stealing his breath, the kiss a brutal clash of lips and tongues and scraping teeth. When Adam is finally able to break away with a gasp, he sucks in a deep breath, threads his fingers through Blake’s hair and says, “well, that was cheating. I had so much more to show you.”

“Don’t care,” Blake replies and then he’s kissing Adam again, pulling him in until they’re pressed flush against each other, a groan escaping from low in his throat. It takes Adam a minute to wedge his hands between them so he can get to the buttons on Blake’s shirt, thumbing each one open until he reaches the top of Blake’s pants. 

Blake starts to shift, presses one hand firmly against Adam’s back as he says, “hold on,” using the other to push himself up out of the chair. Adam’s legs go around his waist as soon as Blake is on his feet, and he makes it his job to get Blake the rest of the way out of his shirt by the time they get to the bed. 

The shirt hits the floor just before Adam gets dumped on the mattress, and he lands with a laugh, Blake climbing up over him. There’s another kiss, deep and eager, and the next thing Blake knows, Adam is flipping him over onto his back, their positions reversed. He can’t find a reason to mind right now, slides big hands down Adam’s back, under the waistband of his black boxer briefs to palm his ass as Adam’s teeth sink into Blake’s lower lip. Blake lets out a hiss, Adam soothing the sting with his tongue before he pulls away.

“Do you trust me?” he asks, his mouth pressed against Blake’s pulse point, and he can feel how fast Blake’s heart is racing under his tongue. Blake can only swallow hard and nod his head; Adam pulls back immediately, looks him straight in the eyes. “I need to hear you say it.”

“I trust you,” Blake tells him, his voice thick with need.

Adam flashes a smile, leans in to brush a soft kiss to Blake’s lips. “Good,” he murmurs. “Your turn to hold on tight, cowboy.”

When Blake lets Adam fuck him, long legs spread wide, it feels like both a blessing and a curse. Blake can’t remember the last time he’s done this, it’s been so long; Adam takes his time with him, getting Blake so worked up and on edge before he’s even inside of him that once Adam is finally sliding on home, Blake feels like he can’t even breathe. The leisurely pace Adam sets lets Blake know he’s in no hurry to get this over with and has every intention of taking his time. There’s a slight tremble in Blake’s muscles with every inward thrust, and one of Adam’s hands strokes over the long plain of his thigh like he’s trying to soothe the twitch with smooth fingers. 

Each kiss they share pulls a whimper from Blake’s throat, and he has no idea how Adam can keep up this pace for much longer, but he just keeps on going. The steady, rhythmic in and out is torturous, yet Blake still feels his toes curling, his cock leaking against his belly begging for more. As soon as Adam takes hold of his hand and pins it to the bed above his head, Blake clutches it tight, uses it to keep him grounded, his other hand digging bruises into Adam’s back.

“ _Adam_ ,” Blake says, the name coming out as a gasp as Adam finally kicks it up a notch, punctuated by one slick, hard thrust.

It’s all downhill from there; the slow, unhurried mood melts away almost immediately, replaced by the frenzied, desperate need for release as they race toward the edge. The fall is shattering, and it leaves Blake twitching and gasping, completely wrung out and over sensitive, the world black behind closed eyes. He’s beyond being able to determine how long it takes him to come back down, but it feels like hours pass before his heartbeat returns to normal, before he feels like he can really _breathe_ again. By then, Adam is lying draped across his chest brushing sweat soaked curls back from his forehead with both hands.

“You good?” Adam asks, and he can’t help but smile when all Blake does is grunt, pressing his head into Adam’s touch. “I’ll take that as a yes.”

Blake moves just enough to bend one arm back behind his head, his other hand resting on the small of Adam’s back. He lets his eyes fall closed again as Adam’s fingers continue to brush back through his hair, soothing enough that Blake could easily drift off to sleep just like this. He’s so very close, oblivion right there within his grasp, when Adam decides to speak again.

“So, it’s cool if I fall in love with you, right?”

And it’s not his voice that gets to Blake as much as it’s the words, blue eyes popping open like he wasn’t just a millisecond away from falling asleep. “Huh?”

Adam grins, shaking his head a little. “Go to sleep.”

“But you just said—.”

“I know,” he replies, smoothing out the crease that formed between Blake’s brows. “Kinda thought you were already out. Sorry.”

Blake falls quiet again for a few moments, his eyes slowly closing again. “To answer your question,” he says after a minute, voice soft. “You better.”

**Author's Note:**

> HOLY SHIT I FINISHED IT. It's only been how many months now? I don't even know. If you guys only knew how long this has been going on, you'd probably think I was the worst writer on the planet. I also need to stop ending fics with sex.
> 
> And in case anyone is curious about the songs Adam is dancing to at the end, they are:
> 
> Arctic Monkeys- I Wanna Be Yours &  
> Bedouin Soundclash - Brutal Hearts


End file.
